Lawmakers Recap Legislative Year for Agriculture

Special appropriation in state budget is earmarked for research and data.

State Rep. Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, left, speaks as other local area state senators and representatives, including from left, Neil Combee, Denise Grimsley, Darren Soto and Kelli Stargel, listen during the Polk County Farm Bureau Legislative Wrap Up Luncheon at the Stuart Building in Bartow on Monday.

Published: Monday, June 9, 2014 at 9:56 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, June 9, 2014 at 9:56 p.m.

BARTOW | It's good to have friends in high places, Florida Department of Citrus officials learned during the past legislative session.

The financially struggling state agency got a $500,000 special appropriation in the state's 2014-15 budget earmarked for marketing research and data, state Rep. Ben Albritton told about 80 people Monday at the Polk County Farm Bureau Legislative Wrap Up Luncheon.

Before his 2010 election to the Legislature representing House of Representatives District 56, which includes the Mulberry and Fort Meade areas, Albritton served as chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission, the Citrus Department's governing body. Albritton chaired the Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee of the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee during this year's legislative session.

When he found $500,000 of unappropriated money in the state budget, Albritton told The Ledger after the luncheon, he called Shannon Shepp, deputy executive director for operations and research, and asked whether the struggling department could use some money.

They decided on a special appropriation for marketing research to support the state agency's primary mission, promoting Florida citrus products.

"As a past citrus commissioner, I know you have to have good data to make good decisions," said Albritton, a Wauchula-based citrus grower.

The Citrus Commission on Wednesday will consider approving a $36.2 million budget for the Citrus Department's 2014-15 fiscal year, one of the smallest spending plans in decades. The department gets almost all its revenue from a state tax on the annual citrus harvest, which has declined significantly in recent years as the bacterial disease citrus greening damages Florida's 69 million commercial citrus trees.

Most of the other six members of Polk's legislative delegation spoke of greening's threat to Florida's signature agricultural sector and the $3.5 million for greening research the Legislature appropriated in the 2014-15 state budget.

The Legislature also appropriated $1.5 million for other Florida citrus programs, including a aerial pesticide spraying program to control the Asian citrus psyllid, the insect host of greening bacteria that has spread the disease across the state. State Sen. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, whose district includes South Polk, mentioned getting $2 million for the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee, which does research on citrus, cattle and vegetables.

State Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, who served on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and other legislators touted the $500 million in tax relief in the 2014-15 budget.

She and state Sen. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, whose district includes Northeast Polk, also mentioned a $1 million appropriation for a Poinciana branch of Orlando-based Valencia College.

Mike LaRosa, R-Kissimmee, who represents an East Polk area, discussed the state budget and his bill updating Florida computer crime laws.

State Rep. John Wood, R-Winter Haven, heralded his successful effort to make Florida the 23rd state to call for a federal constitutional convention to consider a balanced budget amendment.

"When I look at Washington and see what's going on, there are no solutions" because of political gridlock, Wood said.

Eleven other states would have to join in the call for a balanced-budget convention to make it a reality, he added.

Louisiana and South Carolina are among several others considering it.

[ Kevin Bouffard can be reached at kevin.bouffard@theledger.com or at 863-401-6980. Read more on Florida citrus on his Facebook page, Florida Citrus Witness, http://bit.ly/baxWuU. ]

<p>BARTOW | It's good to have friends in high places, Florida Department of Citrus officials learned during the past legislative session.</p><p>The financially struggling state agency got a $500,000 special appropriation in the state's 2014-15 budget earmarked for marketing research and data, state Rep. Ben Albritton told about 80 people Monday at the Polk County Farm Bureau Legislative Wrap Up Luncheon.</p><p>Before his 2010 election to the Legislature representing House of Representatives District 56, which includes the Mulberry and Fort Meade areas, Albritton served as chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission, the Citrus Department's governing body. Albritton chaired the Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee of the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee during this year's legislative session.</p><p>When he found $500,000 of unappropriated money in the state budget, Albritton told The Ledger after the luncheon, he called Shannon Shepp, deputy executive director for operations and research, and asked whether the struggling department could use some money. </p><p>They decided on a special appropriation for marketing research to support the state agency's primary mission, promoting Florida citrus products.</p><p>"As a past citrus commissioner, I know you have to have good data to make good decisions," said Albritton, a Wauchula-based citrus grower.</p><p>The Citrus Commission on Wednesday will consider approving a $36.2 million budget for the Citrus Department's 2014-15 fiscal year, one of the smallest spending plans in decades. The department gets almost all its revenue from a state tax on the annual citrus harvest, which has declined significantly in recent years as the bacterial disease citrus greening damages Florida's 69 million commercial citrus trees.</p><p>Most of the other six members of Polk's legislative delegation spoke of greening's threat to Florida's signature agricultural sector and the $3.5 million for greening research the Legislature appropriated in the 2014-15 state budget.</p><p>"I don't think there's any question it (Florida citrus) is in real peril," said Neil Combee, R-Polk City. </p><p>"If what I hear turns true, it's going to be a disaster for us."</p><p>The Legislature also appropriated $1.5 million for other Florida citrus programs, including a aerial pesticide spraying program to control the Asian citrus psyllid, the insect host of greening bacteria that has spread the disease across the state. State Sen. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, whose district includes South Polk, mentioned getting $2 million for the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee, which does research on citrus, cattle and vegetables.</p><p>State Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, who served on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and other legislators touted the $500 million in tax relief in the 2014-15 budget.</p><p>She and state Sen. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, whose district includes Northeast Polk, also mentioned a $1 million appropriation for a Poinciana branch of Orlando-based Valencia College.</p><p>Mike LaRosa, R-Kissimmee, who represents an East Polk area, discussed the state budget and his bill updating Florida computer crime laws.</p><p>State Rep. John Wood, R-Winter Haven, heralded his successful effort to make Florida the 23rd state to call for a federal constitutional convention to consider a balanced budget amendment.</p><p>"When I look at Washington and see what's going on, there are no solutions" because of political gridlock, Wood said.</p><p>Eleven other states would have to join in the call for a balanced-budget convention to make it a reality, he added.</p><p>Louisiana and South Carolina are among several others considering it.</p><p>[ Kevin Bouffard can be reached at kevin.bouffard@theledger.com or at 863-401-6980. Read more on Florida citrus on his Facebook page, Florida Citrus Witness, http://bit.ly/baxWuU. ]</p>